Can. 1558 §1. Witnesses must be examined at the
tribunal unless the judge deems otherwise.

§2. Cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, and those who
possess a similar favor by civil law are to be heard in the place they select.

§3. The judge is to decide where to hear those for
whom it is impossible or difficult to come to the tribunal because of distance,
sickness, or some impediment, without prejudice to the prescripts of cann.
⇒ 1418 and ⇒ 1469, §2.

Can. 1559 The parties cannot be present at the
examination of the witnesses unless the judge has decided to admit them,
especially when the matter concerns a private good. Their advocates or
procurators, however, can be present unless the judge has decided that the
examination must proceed in secret due to the circumstances of the matters and
persons.

Can. 1560 §1. Each witness must be examined separately.

§2. If witnesses disagree among themselves or with a
party in a grave matter, the judge, after having removed discord and scandal
insofar as possible, can have those who disagree meet together or confront one
another.

Can. 1561 The judge, the judge’s delegate, or an
auditor examines the witness; the examiner must have the assistance of a
notary. Consequently, if the parties, the promoter of justice, the defender of
the bond, or the advocates present at the examination have any questions to be
put to the witness, they are to propose them not to the witness but to the
judge or the one who takes the place of the judge, who is to ask the questions,
unless particular law provides otherwise.

Can. 1562 §1. The judge is to call to the
attention of the witness the grave obligation to speak the whole truth and only
the truth.

§2. The judge is to administer an oath to the
witness according to ⇒ can. 1532; a witness who refuses
to take it, however, is to be heard without the oath.

Can. 1563 The judge is first of all to establish
the identity of the witness, then ask what relationship the witness has with the
parties, and, when addressing specific questions to the witness concerning the
case, also inquire about the sources of his or her knowledge and the precise
time when the witness learned what he or she asserts.

Can. 1564 The questions are to be brief,
accommodated to the mental capacity of the person being questioned, not
comprised of several points at the same time, not deceitful or deceptive or
suggestive of a response, free from any kind of offense, and pertinent to the
case being tried.

Can. 1565 §1. Questions must not be communicated
to the witnesses beforehand.

§2. Nonetheless, if the matters about which
testimony must be given are so remote to memory that they cannot be affirmed
with certainty unless previously recalled, the judge can advise the witness
beforehand on some matters if the judge thinks this can be done without danger.

Can. 1566 Witnesses are to give testimony orally
and are not to read written materials unless they are computations and
accounts; in this case, they can consult the notes which they brought with
them.

Can. 1567 §1. The notary is to write down the
response immediately and must report the exact words of the testimony given, at
least in what pertains to those points which touch directly upon the material
of the trial.

§2. The use of a tape recorder can be allowed,
provided that the responses are afterwards transcribed and, if possible, signed
by the deponents.

Can. 1568 The notary is to make mention in the
acts of whether the oath was taken, excused, or refused, of the presence of the
parties and other persons, of the questions added ex officio, and in general of
everything worth remembering which may have occurred while the witnesses were
being examined.

Can. 1569 §1. At the end of the examination, what
the notary has written down from the deposition must be read to the witness, or
what has been recorded with the tape recorder during the deposition must be
played, giving the witness the opportunity to add, suppress, correct, or change
it.

§2. Finally, the witness, the judge, and the notary
must sign the acts.

Can. 1570 Although already examined, witnesses can
be recalled for examination before the acts or testimonies are published,
either at the request of a party or ex officio, if the judge decides it is
necessary or useful, provided that there is no danger of collusion or
corruption.

Can. 1571 Both the expenses which the witnesses
incurred and the income which they lost by giving testimony must be reimbursed
to them according to the just assessment of the judge.